Sanofi and Lexicon announced that FDA issued a CRL for the sotagliflozin T1DM review. Lexicon subsequently hosted a call with investors but did not provide any additional insight into the content of the CRL letter. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on the sota T1DM CRL and impact to the T1DM market including a winners & losers analysis.
Lexicon hosted its Q4 ’18 earnings call and provided brief updates to its Zynquista (sotagliflozin) clinical and regulatory activities across T1DM and T2DM. With the impending March 22, 2019 sota T1DM PDUFA, Lexicon senior management were reluctant to make comments or answer questions on the topic. For the sota T2DM development program, Lexicon said topline Ph3 data will start reading out in Q2 ’19. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the call.
In AstraZeneca’s press release regarding presentations at ACC 2019, Joris Silon was listed as the company’s new SVP of the CV, renal, and metabolism (CVRM) group. Recall, in October 2018, Novo announced that Ludovic Helfgott, previous head of AZ’s CVRM business, would be joining Novo as of April 3, 2019. According to Silon’s LinkedIn profile, he took the new position as of December 2018. Below, FENIX provides thoughts on Silon’s appointment to head AZ’s CVRM group as well as the headwinds and tailwinds that he faces.
CHMP has adopted a positive opinion for the use of 200 and 400mg Zynquista (sotagliflozin) in T1DM. Recall, on January 31, CHMP adopted a positive opinion for the use of Forxiga in T1DM (previous FENIX insight). Of note, the proposed limitations for use of both Zynquista and Forxiga are identical. Below, FENIX provides insights from the Zynquista positive CHMP opinion and potential read-through to the upcoming Zynquista FDA action date.
As of February 2019, Janssen’s VP and Franchise Medical Leader for the metabolism business, Gary Meininger (pictured below), has left Janssen and is now the SVP and Head of Pipeline Development for Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Prior to his ~9 years at Janssen, Meininger spent 8 years at Merck as a director of Merck Research Laboratories. Below, FENIX provides brief thoughts on Meininger’s departure.
Today, the Senate Finance Committee held the second drug pricing hearing of 2019 (Drug Pricing in America: A Prescription for Change, Part II). Part I was held on January 29, 2019. While the Part I drug pricing hearing spent much time discussing insulin pricing, diabetes-specifically was hardly mentioned. When a specific drug was mentioned, it was most often AbbVie’s Humira. Below, FENIX provides diabetes-related highlights and insights from the hearing.
AstraZeneca’s Farxiga franchise labels (Farxiga and Xigduo) have been updated to reduce the eGFR cutoff from 60 to 45 mL/min/1.73m2. Additionally, AZ announced positive topline results from the Brilinta Ph3 THEMIS study in patients with established CAD and T2DM. Below, FENIX provides insight into the lower Farxiga eGFR as well as thoughts on AZ’s strengthening CV protection market position.
AstraZeneca hosted its Q4 ’18 earnings call and provided a brief update on its diabetes business including Farxiga LCM initiatives (T2DM CVOT, T1DM, HF, and CKD). Of note, as part of AZ’s business reorganization, MedImmune has been fully integrated including the dissolution of the MedImmune name. Below, FENIX provides highlights and insights from the earnings call including thoughts the generic dapa patent dispute, PDUFA projections for Farxiga T1DM and DERIVE CKD, and AZ’s dual agonist from MedImmune.
Earlier this week, FDA tentatively approved Teva’s generic version of Farxiga. Below, FENIX provides evidence suggesting Teva filed its generic dapa via Paragraph III as well as thoughts on potential generic dapa launch timings, particularly Zydus.
Today, Sanofi hosted its Q4 ’19 earnings call, provided updates to its diabetes business, and disclosed that it discontinued SAR425899 (GLP-1/GCGR) and SAR438335 (GLP-1/GIP) for the treatment of obesity in T2DM and T2DM, respectively. Of note, Sanofi’s CEO will be testifying at the February 26, 2019 Senate Committee hearing on drug pricing. Below, FENIX provides highlights from the call as well as thoughts on Sanofi’s position in diabetes, obesity, and NASH.